Janet Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) Although I'm doing the World challenge, it's such a daunting task, so I have decided to make a break-away mini challenge and concentrate on doing the European countries first. I also think they might be easier to get hold of (although I'm yet to find an author born in Vatican City! I think that might prove impossible!). UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, the books are from the country the author was born in. Key Purple = Book read xxxxBlack = Book on my 'to read' pile Anyway, my list is as follows: 1. Albania 2. Andorra 3. Armenia 4. Austria - The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson 7/10 5. Azerbaijan 6. Belarus 7. Belgium 8. Bosnia Herzogovina 9. Bulgaria 10. Croatia 11. Cyprus 12. Czech Republic - Lovely Green Eyes by Arnošt Lustig - 6½/10 13. Denmark - Hitler's Canary by Sandi Toksvik - 8.10 14. Estonia 15. Finland 16. France - Candide or Optimism - Voltaire - 7/10 17. Georgia 18. Germany - All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque - 9/10 19. Greece 20. Hungary 21. Iceland 22. Ireland - The Sea - John Banville - 3/10 23. Italy - I'm Not Scared by - Niccolò Ammaniti - 8/10 24. Latvia 25. Liechtenstein 26. Lithuania 27. Luxembourg 28. Macedonia 29. Malta 30. Moldova 31. Monaco 32. Netherlands - The Hundred and Ninety-nine Steps by Michel Faber - 9/10 33. Norway - The Christmas Mystery - Jostein Gaarder - 7½/10 34. Poland 35. Portugal 36. Romania 37. Russia - Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov 38. San Marino 39. Serbia and Montenegro 40. Slovenia 41. Slovakia 42. Spain 43. Sweden - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson - 10/10 44. Switzerland - Heidi by Johanna Spyri - 7/10 45. Turkey 46. Ukraine 47. Vatican City 48. United Kingdom - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - 10/10 For the purposes of this challenge, the following countries are not included (although they will be dealt with in the World challenge if they appear on that list): Gibraltar = British Overseas Territory Greenland = autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, Guernsey = British Crown Dependency Isle of Man = British Crown Dependency Jersey = British Crown Dependency 13 countries = 27.08% Edited August 14, 2011 by Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 11 countries = 22.92% Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland United Kingdom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I also think they might be easier to get hold of (although I'm yet to find an author born in Vatican City! I think that might prove impossible. Perhaps you could read a press release from the Pope? Even if it's just credited to the Church? That's stretching it quite a lot, I know. Good luck with it! It definitely looks like a more manageable challenge when it's broken down into one continent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 Thanks, Kylie. Chrissy sent me a link to this with the same thought - I think that might be the answer. Yes, I'm hoping concentrating on Europe might help me focus a bit. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Echo Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 This is a great challenge! I might try tackling this one myself. As to the Vatican City...think about it...can anyone really be born there, considering all the residents are priests and nuns? Besides, the pope was born in Germany, so he doesn't count. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Univerze Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Wow, I could never do such a directed reading list, honestly I float from book to book, reading through structure doesn't work for me. Kudos to you for managing though, must be nice to see that map of Europe fill up. Curious though, why did you choose to define authors by the land they were born in? And not the language/country the book was originally written/published in? I mean I looked up Michel Faber (being from the Netherlands myself) and seem he doesn't really classifies as Dutch literature since he moved out of the Netherlands at age 7. Guess you're doing it for yourself this challenge, so it doesn't matter either way. But good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) Sarah - I realise that Vatican City is impossible - I did say in my first post that this was the case (the bit about it proving impossible was sarcasm, but perhaps a smiley at the end of my sentence might have made it clearer. ). It was nice of Kylie and Chrissy to suggest it though. Univerze - My 'world' challenge (and therefore this European one) is based on the original Olympic Challenge that originated on the Bookcrossing site. It stated: The Olympic Challenge is about reading around the world. The person who thought of it is a Bookcrossing member, and she first issued the challenge in December 2005. The idea is to read one author per nation participating in the Olympic Games by the end of the 2008 Summer games. Which is the main reason why I'm doing it where the author was born. I figured it might be more of a challenge finding an author born in Azerbaijan (for example) than finding a book set there. A lot of the books I've read so far have been set in the country where the author was born, but not all, of course. Also, I might read a book set in India by a British writer who has never been to the country, which (in my opinion) is worse than reading one by an author who was born in a country and then moved away. I think would be impossible to find authors for each country who have written their book about their home country. Just my opinion, of course, but then as you said I'm only doing this for my own enjoyment. However, if you have any recommendations for Dutch authors I'd be happy to give a different one a go at some stage - I would have bought the Michel Faber book eventually anyway. ETA: I just found this in my 'World' challenge: Wow, good luck with this, must be hard to find books to read from some countries, I know my country doesn't have many books I'd like to read. Unless it's children's books, like Crusade in Jeans, used to love that one when I was a kid. But it appears to be about £25 on Amazon (about €30!)! ETA (again!) - and of course, I'm limited as I can only read English! Edited January 17, 2011 by Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexiepiper Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 If you get desperate you could always use Dan Brown's Angels and Demons which is set in Vatican City Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted January 21, 2011 Author Share Posted January 21, 2011 Sorry, Kelly - I don't know how I missed your post. Angels and Demons is a good idea, thanks. I finished European country number 12 today - The Hundred and Ninety-Nine Steps by Michel Faber - The Netherlands. 9/10. Obviously this counts as my World Challenge, but I won't post in there too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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